Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s ‘Buffalo Bayou East: A Progress Report to the Community’ on October 27 will demonstrate that a more connected bayou is within reach.

HOUSTON, TX (October 14, 2026)  – A continuous network of parks, trails, bridges, and cultural destinations is taking shape along Buffalo Bayou east of downtown. On October 27, Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) will showcase that progress at “Buffalo Bayou East: A Progress Report to the Community,” a free annual program that gives the public a deeper look into projects that are transforming the waterway and connecting communities to it.

Across the Buffalo Bayou East 10-Year Plan, projects are moving from vision to reality, with spaces now open to the public, others under construction, and more advancing through design. Together, these projects are creating new connections between the Greater East End, Fifth Ward, and Buffalo Bayou, while transforming former industrial sites into places for recreation, nature, culture, and community.

This year’s program will feature a collection of voices – architects, landscape architects, and designers who are putting pen to paper and shovels in the ground to make spaces in the 10-Year Plan a reality. Design team members from SWA, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Reed Hilderbrand, Dept., Asakura Robinson, and Waggonner & Ball will present “A Day Along Buffalo Bayou,” a behind-the-scenes look at project progress and a glimpse into the unique offerings community members can experience and enjoy at each space.

The presentation will be followed by a moderated panel discussion on themes that weave through these projects and the importance of shared landscapes for healthy and connected cities. Afterward, guests are invited to join in a reception for music, refreshments, and conversation.

“The vision for a fully connected network of parks, trails, and cultural destinations is coming closer and closer to reality,” says Anne Olson, Buffalo Bayou Partnership President. “We are excited for the community to gain a deeper understanding of each of the public spaces coming to the bayou east of downtown and hear directly from the firms bringing them to life.”

“Buffalo Bayou East: A Progress Report to the Community” is free to attend and will be held on Tuesday, October 27 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Warehouse at Turkey Bend (5803 Navigation Blvd.). Find more information on the program and free registration on BBP’s website here. The presentation and panel discussion will be recorded and published on BBP’s website and YouTube after the event.

For more information on Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s work east of downtown and media opportunities, contact Karen Farber (kfarber@buffalobayou.org).

More about Buffalo Bayou East projects:

Kinder Trail
A continuous hike and bike trail system will connect neighborhoods, green spaces, bridges, and adapted industrial sites on the north and south banks of Buffalo Bayou east of US-59. The trail will be 13-15 feet wide and feature BBP’s amenities, including seating, wayfinding signage, and the signature Lunar Cycle Lighting visitors know from Buffalo Bayou Park and downtown trails. Blue light emergency call boxes have now been added for additional trail safety. Kinder Trail will link to the existing network of trails through downtown to Buffalo Bayou Park to the west and the Heights Bayou Greenway to the north. Construction is slated for completion in late 2027.

Silos and Stormwater Crossing
The area surrounding the iconic former gravel silos east of Jensen Drive is being adapted into a new pocket park and wetland landscape. Taking inspiration from the site’s industrial history, a ‘gravel garden’ will feature cement slabs harvested from the site, native plants and trees, and areas for seating and relaxation. The adjacent Stormwater Crossing will be centered around a constructed wetland to channel, absorb, and cleanse stormwater as it passes through the site and into the bayou. In addition, vibrant plantings, trees, and restored wet prairie ecology will provide essential habitat for wildlife and a tranquil oasis for visitors. Construction is slated for completion in late 2027.

Tony Marron Park
The existing City of Houston park will be doubled in size from 19 to 40 acres, forming the central green space hub in Buffalo Bayou East. The expanded and reimagined park will feature a destination children’s play area with zones for different ages and abilities; open lawns for play and events; multiple pavilions for community gathering; barbeque pavilion and picnic grove for communal grilling; covered public fitness area; curated gardens; wildflower meadows and native plantings; and new temporary and permanent public art installations. Construction is slated for completion in early summer 2027.

Kinder and Gregg Street Bridges
Two bayou-crossing pedestrian bridges will be added connecting the East End and Fifth Ward neighborhoods for the first time. The Kinder Bridge will link Tony Marron Park on the south bank to Japhet Creek to the north, where a hike and bike trail will follow the path of the historic tributary, leading to the four-acre green space on Clinton Dr. which opened to the public in 2024. To the west, the Gregg Street Bridge will link Gregg Street on the north bank to Velasco Street on the south. Kinder Bridge and Japhet Creek trail are slated for completion in late 2028; Gregg Street Bridge is slated for completion in spring 2029.

Garver Park
Just to the east of Tony Marron Park, this ten-acre green space was completed in late 2025 and surrounds the Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou mixed-income housing complex, providing a verdant front yard for residents and neighbors. The park features a children’s play area, dog park, and shared-use and pedestrian-only accessible trails. A gently rolling topography planted with native grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees paired with a preserved established tree canopy provides a natural sound barrier from nearby industry and a lush landscape for visitors and wildlife. Garver Park is connected to nearby Tony Marron Park by hike and bike trail and Marron Park Way, a new road created by BBP. Marron Park Way creates a welcoming gateway into each park, integrates critical below-ground stormwater and utility infrastructure, and diverts disruptive commercial traffic from neighborhood streets. Garver Park is open to the public. Marron Park Way is slated for completion in late 2026.

Turkey Bend on Buffalo Bayou
The 1930s street-level shipping warehouse and waterfront barge terminal are being restored and adapted into a one-of-a-kind cultural destination in the historic East End. In fall 2025, BBP marked the completion and opening of the first phase of the project – the Warehouse at Turkey Bend. Opening onto Navigation Blvd., the warehouse features an expansive open-air breezeway bordered by lease spaces for community-based retail on one side and the future home of the Houston Public Library’s Hispanic History Research Center on the other. A brightly colored tunnel lined with preserved graffiti winds from the breezeway to a protected oxbow of Buffalo Bayou and a future waterfront park and boating hub. Currently, the award-winning Warehouse at Turkey Bend is a venue available for events while the next phases are underway. The wharf is slated for completion in 2030.

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